Well, like I pointed out, the gesture only took it's present meaning in the 60s, and the Japanese never had this kind of hand gesture from what I have researched. It makes perfect sense that Oni wouldn't understand it, but could at least understand the intent behind making the gesture, which is what he appears to have done.

Honestly never thought I would be researching the origin of "flipping the bird". It's interesting how it's actually evolved and fused a few different things together.

The middle finger being extended in such a fashion has always been a clear obscene, sexual gesture and thought to have originated in ancient Greece, thought the first recorded mention of it from my researching it, is from 420-something BC in Greek-written play.

The bird part comes from 1860's slang to "give the big bird" which was meant to greet someone hissing like a goose, later evolving to include boos and catcalls in the 1920's, and then in the 60's transferred to using the "up yours" gesture with the middle finger, bringing it to the meaning we know today.

Well, like I pointed out, the gesture only took it's present meaning in the 60s, and the Japanese never had this kind of hand gesture from what I have researched. It makes perfect sense that Oni wouldn't understand it, but could at least understand the intent behind making the gesture, which is what he appears to have done.

Honestly never thought I would be researching the origin of "flipping the bird". It's interesting how it's actually evolved and fused a few different things together.

The middle finger being extended in such a fashion has always been a clear obscene, sexual gesture and thought to have originated in ancient Greece, thought the first recorded mention of it from my researching it, is from 420-something BC in Greek-written play.

The bird part comes from 1860's slang to "give the big bird" which was meant to greet someone hissing like a goose, later evolving to include boos and catcalls in the 1920's, and then in the 60's transferred to using the "up yours" gesture with the middle finger, bringing it to the meaning we know today.

Awesome. Who would have known there was such a rich history behind such a lowly expression of the human condition

Awesome. Who would have known there was such a rich history behind such a lowly expression of the human condition

Right?

Curse you now I'm looking stuff up on wikipedia! Goodbye sleep!

I learnt that a very common expression in spanish "Vete al carajo" which could be roughly translated to "Go fuck yourself / get lost" (but literally "go to the carajo") stems from the middle ages, where the "carajo" was the highest part of a type of spanish ship called galleon, and sending a sailor to such high and dangerous place was a form of punishment.